LWilson
Ehud Gelblum |
First TeamEhud Gelblum JPMorgan Second Team Timothy Long BofA Third Team Philip Cusick Bear Stearns Runners-Up Timothy Luke Lehman; Paul Sagawa Sanford C. Bernstein |
By rising one level to finish first, Ehud Gelblum of JPMorgan Securities achieves a double victory: He is also No. 1 in Data Networking & Wireline Equipment. Clients praise his “wacky and offbeat voice mails,” as well as his “unique ability to synthesize all elements of the story into balanced, thoughtful investment opinion.” In June 2006, Gelblum was of the opinion that Qualcomm was overpriced at $46.24 and downgraded the stock to sell. In March, after it had fallen 15.9 percent, to $38.87, he upgraded to neutral. By mid-September shares of the San Diego–based company had gained only 1.4 percent since the upgrade, to $39.43. Gelblum, 38, who earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Columbia University in 1998, worked as a telecom analyst for Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse before joining JPMorgan in 2002. After two years in third, Timothy Long advances to second. The Banc of America Securities analyst, who has “the best global handset model on the Street,” according to one investor, continues to win praise for his long-standing bullish call on Nokia Corp., first recommended in October 2003. The stock soared 77.3 percent in 2007 by mid-September, from $18.97 to $33.63, while the sector climbed 11.1 percent. The Finnish cell phone maker was also the top pick for sector newcomer Philip Cusick, in third. Cusick, of Bear Stearns, gets high marks from buy-siders for his “depth of industry knowledge” and “winning stock calls,” including his mid-July buy on Alexandria, Minnesota–based Rural Cellular Corp., at $43.04, recommended for its long-term growth prospects. In late July, Verizon Wireless announced it would acquire Rural Cellular for $45.00 per share, a 4.6 percent premium in just two weeks. |
|
Telecommunications: Telecom Equipment/ Wireless